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Privileg SOLAR 31

Date of introduction:  1984 Display technology:  LCD
New price:   Display size:  8
Size:  4.7" x 4.1" x 1.0"
 120 x 106 x 25 mm3		    
Weight:  3.0 ounces, 86 grams Serial No:  
Batteries:  n.a.  Date of manufacture:  year 1985
AC-Adapter:   Origin of manufacture:  Taiwan
Precision:  8  Integrated circuits:  Sharp
Memories:  1    
Program steps:   Courtesy of:  Joerg Woerner

Does this Privileg SOLAR 31 calculator look familiar to you?

Dismantling the featured SOLAR 31 manufactured around 1985 by Cal-Comp Electronics, an OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) in Taiwan, reveals a clean design centered around an unknown Sharp single-chip calculator circuit soldered on a double-sided printed circuit board (PCB) and powered by solar cells.

Inspecting the PCB of this Privileg SOLAR 31 calculator brought our attention to a small mark reading SD9-13, most likely a reference to Type Small Desktop 9 and Revision 1.3 of the design (schematics and layout). We spotted this PCB-Mark already with the near identical offspring TI-1795 and started compiling a list of the PCB-Marks on calculators manufactured by OEMs for Texas Instruments.

Please notice the different sizes of the solar cells used with the SOLAR 31 and TI-1795 despite sporting the same SD9-13 PCB-Mark. Meet Kmart Corporation's KMC 100B - the first born SD9 calculator with Revision 10.



IIf you have additions to the above article please email: joerg@datamath.org.

© Joerg Woerner, March 16, 2020. No reprints without written permission.